Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Banbury United v Tamworth
Banbury United
0-3
.jpg)
Tamworth
Match Report
For the final game of the 2023-24 season, Andy Peaks’ Championship winning Lambs travelled the short distance to the Spencer Stadium where a couple of seasons prior, Tamworth had watched the home team celebrate their promotion to the National League North.
However, this time around Banbury were making their final appearance at Step 2 having been relegated in the games prior to kick off, while The Lambs were celebrating their upward rise to Step 1 in 2024-25.
With nothing play for but pride and points Andy Peaks enacted his last team selection of the campaign, and named an unchanged starting eleven from the side that beat South Shields 3-0 in the final home run out the previous weekend.
KICK OFF
The Lambs got the game underway in glorious April sunshine attacking the Puritans Radio Stand at the opposite end of the ground to segregated the travelling Lambs fans in the first half and Enoru tried a very early strike from 18 yards with whistled wide of the mark.
Two former Puritans combined on 4 to forge an opening, but despite the skills of Acquaye and Wreh, the latter pulled his low shot wide of the mark.
Tshikuna pulled the ball around the edge of the box on 6 and rolled it back to Curley 25 yards out but the defender’s long range strike rose over the target without troubling Breaery and the provider spotted the keeper off his line on 9 so tried a lob from 30 yards but the Brearey was positioned well enough to move and catch it with ease.
Brearey was called into action by a low strike from Enoru on 13 and at the other end, Willets had to be quick with a well timed sliding challenge to deny the run and shot of Charles.
From the corner, Willets glanced Woodhouse's, searching flagkick away and from the ensuing play Enoru made a darting run over the halfway line, fed it through to Acquaye and he pulled it back for Tonks who struck from 25 yards and a deflection took it over the bar for a corner which Brearey did well to push away from danger.
Sundire tested the home keeper with an inside of the right foot strike from the edge of the box on 20 but again, it was easy for the custodian to protect his target from attack.
As the game hit the half hour mark The Lambs forced another corner which came back out to the halfway line and when Acquaye picked it up he shrugged off his marker and struck from fully 35 yards into the roof of the net via the underside of the bar to the delight of the Lambs bench and travelling fans – a truly glorious strike (0-1, 31 mins)
Banbury responded by forcing a left sided corner which Willets put behind for another and although Bunga missed his header, Sturridge connected on the spinning half volley but lifted it over the crossbar from 12 yards.
There was little goalmouth action for the remainder of the half as both sides worked the ball around midfield and The Lambs forays forwards were denied by Puritanical defending as a couple of first half minutes stoppage time ended with The Lambs leading 1-0.
HT 0-1
After making a change at halftime, United restarted proceedings but The Lambs quickly won possession and Enoru burst into the box and looked for Wreh with a low pass but it was cut out and cleared.
Tshikuna picked the ball up on the left and tried a curling strike towards the far post on 49 but Brearey was able to bat it away from danger and at the other end, Hewitt smashed a volley from 20 yards against the crossbar, signalling the home side were not going to roll over.
Tamworth countered, and Njie went down from a tackle outside his own area. He stayed down while play carried on around him as he requested treatment but when the ball rolled by him a couple of passes later he sprang to his feet and played it downfield for Sturridge to take it to the endge of the box. As he stepped into the penalty area he went down under a challenge from Fairlamb to give the referee no choice but to point to the spot.
Charles stepped up to take the 51st minute penalty kick but he found Singh in no mood to surrender 26th his cleansheet (25 in the league) of the season and duly smothered the low strike to right right, on the line.
Creaney replaced Wreh for the final half hour of the season and he nearly doubled his side’s lead with his first touch, but when Acquaye drilled the ball into the box Creaney's cushioned shot from the left went just wide of the near post.
The second did arrive soon after though, when a long throw by Tonks in line with the 18 yard box on the left bounced in the area and although Creaney couldn’t get a finishing touch to it, it bounced on for Knight-Percival to half volley under Brearey at the far post (0-2, 69 mins)
A Banbury attack required Lambs to put their bodies in the way to keep the ball away from Singh, but a foul outside the area on 74 did set up Hewitt with a freekick. He dipped the deadball up and over the wall only to find Singh already in flight to pluck it out of the air and deny the on target effort.
Enoru made way for Williams on 78 and Deacon replaced Sundire shortly after and Williams tried his luck with a left footed shot from 25 yards on 84, but it was too high to test Brearey. He then combined with Deacon for the latter to turn and shoot on the angle but a ricochet took it out of play.
And then, when Banbury played the ball short to the keeper's right by the touchline, it was robbed by Acquaye and rolled purposefully into the box for Creaney to finish clinically under the keeper from 6 yards (0-3, 87 mins)
Curley played Williams down the right in space on 89 and he cut into the box but shot waywardly off target, and Singh kept Charles at bay with a fine push around his left hand post from a shot that looked destined to go in, as the game, and season, went into added time.
until the whistle blew on 2023-24, and a second successive promotion, as the players and fans celebrated once again.
TEAMS
Banbury United
Brearey, Ward, Woodhouse, Fleming (c.), Sturridge, Charles, Hewitt (Opoku 80), Njie (Scott 55), Beresford, Bunga, Pache (Middleton HT)
Subs (4 only): Hayes
Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Fairlamb, Acquaye, Willets, Tshikuna, Tonks, Wreh (Creaney 62), Sundire (Deacon 80), Enoru (Williams 78), Knight-Percival
Subs: Cockerill-Mollett, Reilly
Referee: Mr. Harry Warner
Assistant: Mr. Simon Parbery, Mr.
Att: 844
.jpg)
